Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 182
182 The third form of revenge is that the aggrieved party should cut off all intercourse with the offender. Islam disapproves of this form of revenge also. The Holy Prophet sa has said, 'It is not permissible to a Mus- lim to cease speaking to his brother for longer than three days,' i. e. , he must resume speaking to him within three days. 88 The fourth form of revenge is to entertain spite against the aggressor. This is also condemned by Islam. God says in the Holy Quran, 'We have driven out spite from the hearts of the believers,' 89 that is to say, a Muslim should not be spiteful. The Holy Prophet sa has said, 'A Muslim is not spiteful, and does not harbour malice. ' 90 Islam, therefore, permits only one form of revenge and that is to inflict on a trespasser punishment in proportion to the wrong done by him, and even this is subject to the condition that if there is an established Government in the country, retribution must be exacted through the machinery appointed by the Government and the person aggrieved must not take the law into his own hands. If there is no Government, the punishment may be inflicted by the person aggrieved, but it must be in proportion to the wrong suffered; and if forgiveness is more likely to reform the offender, he must be for- given. The other forms of revenge, that is to say, abuse, fault-finding, nursing of spite, etc. , are all condemned by Islam, for they tend to promote evil and discord, and 88 Bukh a r i and Muslim. 89 Al- H ijr, 15: 48. 90 Kun u zul Haq a ’iq.